BMW V12 LMR Portland preview

Munich. Normally car races do not have romantic names. The Rose
City Grand Prix in Portland is an exception to this rule - the rose is the
symbol of this port on the West coast of America in the state of Oregon
where the eighth race in the...

Munich. Normally car races do not have romantic names. The Rose
City Grand Prix in Portland is an exception to this rule - the rose is the
symbol of this port on the West coast of America in the state of Oregon
where the eighth race in the American Le Mans Series (ALMS) will be
staged on Sunday over a duration of two hours 45 minutes. And BMW
driver Jorg Muller (D) plans once again to defend his lead in the
Championship against the growing threat presented by his rivals.

The Portland International Raceway is the shortest of the ALMS tracks
at just 3.128 kilometres. It is very smooth and also very narrow, which
makes the frequent overtaking of the GT and GTS cars by faster
prototypes like the BMW V12 LMR particularly critical. On the larger
Texas Motor Speedway last weekend, too, the BMW drivers
experienced events that changed the outcome of the race. "As a result
of the large speed differences between the classes, everybody has to
be extremely careful", says Muller, who alternates behind the wheel
with JJ Lehto (FIN). "Seeing and being seen," continues Muller, "is really
important in ALMS." In Texas Muller enjoyed the support of his
team-mates, Bill Auberlen (USA) and Jean-Marc Gounon (F).

"The change of position at the end of the race gained an extra two
points for Jorg", explains BMW Motorsport Team Manager Charly
Lamm. "We have to grasp every straw available to us to keep our
chances of winning the title in our 1999 car alive against the modern
rivals." This also means ensuring that the team uses every available
opportunity for testing. At the end of July the team tested in Portland.
Lamm continues, "At that time we were very dissatisfied with our lap
times. We now appear to have got a little closer to the front, however.
Even a place of the podium may not be enough to keep our lead in the
table, however -- and a victory will be very difficult." This season
Muller/Lehto have won two races to date.

In 1999 Portland was the third ALMS race for the BMW V12 LMR, and
Lehto gained his third consecutive pole position. During the race itself
the Finn achieved second position along with his then partner, Steve
Soper. The sister car, which was then driven by Auberlen and Joachim
Winkelhock, took place four.

Hans-J. Stuck, who normally drives a BMW M3 for the BMW Team PTG
in the ALMS GT class, has decided not to take part in the race in
Portland. Stuck: "I have had trouble with a neck vertebra since training
in Mosport, where the car bottomed out repeatedly on a bump in the
track. I now have to take care of this problem in order for it to be cured
in time for me to be fit enough for the race in Road Atlanta on
September 30."

The race on Sunday will be run from 12 noon to 2.45 pm (Central
European Summer Time: Sunday: 7 pm to 9.45 pm).
Eurosport will broadcast a report on Sunday from 10 pm to 11 pm and
from 11.15 pm to 12 midnight.